Lady in red
by MorgauseNokami
Summary: He could not see her face, but something in the way she moved was awfully familiar. There was only one person he knew who walked like that, but he could hardly believe he was looking at her now. || Short T-P story :)


Lady In Red

Trunks glanced around, carefully stepping into the ballroom. So many people!.. Somehow his mother always got her parties to be the biggest in the entire business world. This one was no exception, not even when this wasn't business but her own birthday. He grinned. His mother had always liked it big. For a moment he wondered why she had ended up with his dad then, but the conclusion he came to was disturbing so he shook his head trying to clear out those thoughts.

So many people, so few he actually knew. Where was his family, where were his friends, where were the people he actually wanted to be with? His gaze trailed over the masses of people in the huge room, trying to find familiar faces. 

Somewhere close to the band, on the other side of the room, he found his sister and Marron moving to the music amidst a group admirers who were cheering loudly at their wild and sexy dancing. Closer to him at the food tables was Goten, munching on something large and glaring at anyone who dared to approach the tables, trying to protect 'his' food. 

Trunks laughed at the sight and started to go over there, when a sudden motion, a murmuring of the people at the door caught his eye. He twirled around and looked at the silhouet of the person coming in, the person for whom people were moving out of the way and who they were softly talking about.

The first thing he could see was her beautiful, red dress. Made out of dark red, heavy velvet, silk and lace, it definitely caught the eye. It had an almost medieval feel to it, though he doubted medieval manners would have allowed such bare shoulders, back and cleavage. 

She was small and slim, though she had a womanly figure. Her dark hair was bound loosely on top of her head, with more than a few tendrils falling down her face and neck. She wore no jewelry except for a small, ruby tear on a golden chain. She slowly walked in, her dress trailing behind her. Her eyes though were cast on the ground, not fit for such an entry. 

He could not see her face, but something in the way she moved was awfully familiar. Her steps were sure and she had a catlike grace over her, from the way her hips swayed to the glances she cast around the room. There was only one person he knew who walked like that, but he could hardly believe he was looking at her now.

He walked towards her quickly, catching her in the middle of the room, close to the dancefloor. She looked up when his hand touched her arm and he sucked in a breath, as did she.

"Pan!" he said, his voice more breathless than he intended when he looked into her dark eyes. She didn't seem to wear any make-up, though he was sure she must be. How else could her lips be so red, her skin be so fair, her eyes be so bright?

"Trunks," she said, her eyes traveling up and down his body. He could feel a blush creeping to his cheeks, she had never looked at him like this before. 

"You look... nice," she said, slowly smirking. Was it just the heat, or was she blushing as well?

"You look amazing," he said, annoyed at himself for not having a word that discribed her beauty to him tonight. "Gorgeous."

She smiled and now he was certain she blushed. "Thanks. You're not half bad yourself," she repeated.

"How- Why... This dress? I have never seen you like this before!" He said, still looking at her wide-eyed.

She looked at the ground shyly. "I know, I hardly dress up. Sometimes though it's worth the trouble."

He forgot what he wanted to say when she looked up at him and smiled. Afraid he'd be gawking like a fish, he held out his hand. "Dance?" he asked, relieved that his voice didn't choke. 

Pan smiled brighter and took his hand, leading him onto the dancefloor. 

He awkwardly wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her hand with the other. She looked up at him, still smiling that brilliant smile. She seemed particularily happy with the way he was acting now. He looked at her suspiciously, but she didn't seem to be laughing at him. That devious glint in her eyes didn't show at the moment, she was sincerely happy.

A slow lovesong came on and he blushed as he pulled her closer, as did she. Although they had danced before, it had not been like this. _He_ had certainly not felt like this, of that he was sure. Sure, he'd felt some attraction towards Pan before – how could he not? She was young, pretty, in a tomboyish sort of way, her hair and eyes shone, she _definitely_ had gained curves and that _walk_ of hers... – but never before had she seemed so utterly beautiful to him. Was it the dress? It had to be the dress, or maybe Bra had given her an oh so subtle make-over. There had to be a reason for the way she shone so bright. 

They slowly moved to the beat and he finally dared to relax a bit. She must have as well, because she leaned into him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her more, so that they would be hugging hadn't they been moving to the music. 

He looked down at her face to find her looking up at him. He started and she smiled. This time he _knew_ she was laughing at him. She couldn't hide her feelings for him, she never could. He knew her better than everyone else, and she knew him just as well. Ever since she'd left puberty, they'd developed a certain friendship that made them on certain levels even closer than Goten and him. He _always_ knew how she was feeling.

But did he? He glanced at her dark eyes that were now staring at his neck intently. Lately she'd acted... different. They'd always had a physically oriented relationship, like him and Goten; a lot of sparring did that to a friendship. There'd always been a lot of romping and hugging, tickling and wrestling. But lately when he touched her, she stiffened and got the strangest look at her face. He'd worried that she had maybe finally realised that he was indeed a man, and not a man she wanted to be so physically close with. He'd tried his hardest to be like Goten to her, an uncle and basically sexless, just as he tried his hardest to see her as another little sister, like the way he used to. But maybe that was too much to ask, maybe it was impossible for a man and a woman to have a friendship like theirs. Maybe they were growing apart, maybe Pan was making them grow apart. For some reason the thought saddened him immensely and he sighed.

Pan looked up at him. "What is it?" she asked in that low voice of hers. The sound of it made a shiver run down his back.

"Nothing," he said, still sounding somewhat breathless. 

Her dark eyes bore into his, one eyebrow arched. "Don't give me that, Trunks. You know as well as I that we can't hide anything from eachother."

"Well, you're one to talk!" he said, suddenly angry. 

"What?" Her eyes were wide, her face white. She suddenly looked so vulnerable that he pulled her closer, angry or not. "What did I do?" she asked, her voice thin and a bit higher than usual.

He breathed out, half a laugh, half a sigh. "It seems more like I'm the one that did something. You almost avoided me the other week, and when we are together, you act so different... You wince every  time I touch you. Is there... is there something I have done, or do you just not want to be friends anymore..?" His voice sounded patheticly nervous, but at least he had asked the question. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Trunks, no!" She sounded genuinely aghast. "There is _nothing_ – I can't believe you thought that! I wouldn't – "

He grinned at her expression, and she relaxed a bit. She'd stepped away from him as far as possible when in his arms, but now she leaned into him again. He breathed in deeply, relishing in how good her body felt against his. 

He suddenly breathed in. Was he... could he... He looked down at Pan again. Yes, she was beautiful. But he'd seen _and_ dated a lot of beautiful women, and none of them made him feel like this. Would he... could he...

"It isn't your fault..." Pan mumbled against his chest, ripping him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, but she did as well and her bangs hid her face. He pulled her closer, so that they were body to body; he felt her soft curves against his flesh, felt her hot breath on his chest through the cloth of his shirt. He breathed in deeply, trying to keep his cool, but it became harder when he smelled her sweet but musky scent. 

"It's just that... well..." She was still looking down, pressing her forehead against his chest. He felt her breathe deeply, felt her heart beat in her chest, and he was filled with a deep emotion that he could not describe.

"Pan," he said and lifted her chin with a finger, so that she had to look up at him. Her eyes were wide still and her face pale. On his intense gaze two bright red spots started to glow on her cheeks. 

"Trunks," she said, her voice so soft that she almost whispered. Her eyes closed and opened, her dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks. Again he found himself looking at the most beautiful creature that he'd ever seen, and it took some time before his brain registered what she said next.

"I've... I am..." She broke off and gazed into his eyes, and this time he was the one to blush. "Have you ever known love?" she then asked and immediately hid her head in his chest. 

He felt his cheeks burn and his legs tremble at his own thoughts, at the simple word she gave him for the feelings he had. He breathed in deeply. _I have never had such a feeling of complete and utter love as I do tonight. _"I know it," he said, and he was surprised to hear his voice was steady. "I feel it. I..." 

She looked up at him again, her eyes glimmering in the dimmed light. Was she crying? But why? 

"Trunks, I..." she started, loosening her grip on his shoulders, about to step away from him. 

"Pan, no!" he said, pulling her close again, still looking deeply into her eyes. He smiled at her, softly stroking her jaw. "Lady in red," he murmured, his hand lifting her chin again. He saw her frown, then saw her eyes widen in understanding. For a moment he was afraid, afraid that he had misunderstood what she had not said, afraid that he was ruining everything they had. Then her eyes fluttered close and he knew he had made the right decision. He leaned down and kissed her, softly, slowly. She responded passionately and he could not dim the fire that he felt in his body, his heart, his soul. He did not want to.

Ages seemed to pass in that one kiss and when they finally parted he was momentarily not able to register anything but her. She grinned at him and rest her head against his chest again, her lips swollen, her hair loosened, her cheeks flushed. She was so utterly beautiful that he could not breath for a moment, and he worried that his heart might break from pounding so hard. Then he wrapped his arms soundly around her shoulders and smiled down at her, knowing he wore the same smile as she. "_My_ lady in red," he whispered softly and kissed her again. 

~*&*~

AN: Every time I heard the song 'Lady in red' (by various artists), I had to think of Trunks and Pan, and so this story happened. It is indeed a songfic, although there isn't any songtext in the story itself – that usually bothers me, I always skip those lines in songfics I read and besides, I wouldn't need to write the story if I'd place the songtext, the text says all.

But who wants to read the text anyway, here it comes:

Lady In Red 

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight 

_I've never seen you shine so bright_

_I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance_

_They're looking for a little romance, given half the chance_

_And I have never seen that dress you're wearing_

_Or the highlights in your hair that catch your eyes, I have been blind_

_The lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheek_

_There's nobody here, just you and me, it's where I want to be_

_But I hardly know this beauty by my side_

_I'll never forget the way you look tonight_

_I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight_

_I've never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing_

_I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side_

_And when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away_

_And I have never had such a feeling_

_Such a feeling of complete and utter love, as I do tonight_

_The lady in red is dancing with me_

_I will never forget the way you look tonight_

_The lady in red, the lady in red, the lady in red, my lady in red  _


End file.
